Fuel dispensers, commonly termed "gasoline pumps", for the fueling of automobiles or the like typically include on the dispenser housing a nozzle boot comprising a receptacle extending to within the housing for storage of the nozzle during periods of non-use. The nozzle boot provides not only for the convenience of storage but also serves as a shroud to protect the nozzle spout against the entry of dirt or moisture when stored. For some time, fuel dispensing nozzles by and large have been of a standard size such that the boots which accommodate those nozzles have likewise been of a standard size.
With the advent of the Clean Air Act, including the requirement at designated type dispensing sites for vapor recovery via the nozzle to recover vapors generated during dispensing of the fuel, it became necessary to develop new nozzle designs for that purpose. The resultant nozzles are generally of a dimensional height and length approximately one-third larger than the standard nozzle previously utilized. A nozzle boot which was therefore adequate in size for the standard nozzle has proved inadequate to accommodate the larger size nozzles utilized for vapor recovery.
As a consequence of the larger nozzle sizes, improvisation has been resorted to, such as having two different size nozzle boots in inventory and substituting one for the other as the need arose. Another approach has been the use of auxiliary nozzle supports or nozzle spout shields that enable supporting the larger nozzle while meeting the requirement of protecting the nozzle tip from the weather elements. Despite recognition of the problem, however, apparatus affording a more suitable solution has not heretofore been known.